Velvet Revolver And The Death Of The Supergroup

Well, it's official. Scott Weiland and the lads of Velvet Revolver are parting ways. The band has cited that Weiland's "increasingly erratic" behavior as the cause of the split and have no eminent plans for a reconciliation. The era of the Supergroup has reached it's end.

Thank god.

It was all the rage a few years ago. Musicians from once popular, now dissolved bands meeting singers from once popular, now dissolved bands, and deciding to cash in on each other's success with a hip sounding project that was equal parts fresh and stale. It was all anyone could talk about. Audioslave, Zwan, A Perfect Circle (The second lineup, not the first,) and of course the aforementioned Velvet Revolver. The steam coming off of this crap was so intense, that even VH-1 had to get in on the action with a supercharged reality program of their own. For a while there, it seemed like the beginning of the end. One could almost imagine people breaking up with their bands to form new bands and write new songs that sounded older and less vibrant than the old songs their old bands used to play. Yup, every single one of these groups patted themselves on the back, called each other brothers, and prattled on about the staying power of this new act.

But it was not to last. Whether anyone realized it or not, it was doomed to fall.

Musicians are egotistical creatures. There is a certain amount of fearlessness that must be thrust into melody and rhythm to make it strong. A commitment, if you will, to push things past any creative limit you might have. And ego breeds fearlessness. It's the nature of the beast. This recipe gets doubled when talking about successful musicians. They not only posses the fearlessness, but proof of it's success.

So, if you were to tell Chris Cornell that he needs to change up his vocal style, he can say, "Oh gee really? Well, gosh I guess I could. I mean, that style worked for me with Soundgarden, and millions of people seemed to like it, but hey what do I know?" Nobody argued with him, hell neither would I. Let the man do what he wants I say. But don't be surprised as the well-lubed wheels of creativity start to make some friction.

The end result were two camps of folks trying to please each other, creating several camps of mediocrity. I liked Rage Against The Machine, and I adored Soundgarden. But I didn't like one for the same reasons I liked the other. They were disparate sounds for different occasions. By putting them together, you'd create something similar to sonic gruel. Filling, but hardly appetizing.

The Rage guys had to force themselves to be more melodic and create more structured songs, which isn't their forte. Cornell had to adapt to singing more standardized material, is a weak point for the man. He has proven to be outstanding when he's vocalizing to a fucked up backdrop. Putting four on the floor and adding predicable key changes is not going to bring out his best. As such, their respective work was sloppy. Financially successful to be sure, but hardly memorable.

The same can be said for any of these other Supergroups. Sub par albums, music that was decent, but not great. Too many successful people who did things the way they always have because it's what they've always done.

Typically, when dealing with bands, you have to figure each other out. See where people's limits are, where you can push. Adapt their nuances to yourself, and learn how to play to their limitations. It's a constant tug and pull that creates camaraderie and unity. The building blocks of a strong and powerful group. Too much individual success spoils the pie. Think too highly of your own prosperities, and you'll never adapt to the new performers in your stead. Which can be bad, when said performers happen to have equal amounts of success as you.

So farewell, era of the Supergroup. It's been entertaining. I suppose many will follow in Weiland's footsteps and reunite with their old bands for big headlines and mega tours. Shoot, you guys may even find that old spirit we all fell for back in the day. Just remember to lay off the ego , and that there are other guys in your band who can push you hard and make you great, or can just as easily sit on their asses and make you sound old.